Tejashwi Yadav, the deputy chief minister of Bihar, has been charged with criminal defamation at an Ahmedabad metropolitan court for an alleged remark he made about Gujaratis. The allegation states that Yadav reportedly added, "Looking at the present condition of the country, only Gujaratis can be cheats (thag)."
Defamation claims against the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader were brought before Metropolitan Court 17 by Haresh Mehta, an officer of the NGO All India Anti-Corruption and Crime Preventive Council.
The complainant took exception to Yadav’s statement on aYouTube channel. He quoted Yadav as saying, “Those two are the cheats, and they have permission to cheat. Looking at the present condition of the country, only Gujaratis can be cheats, and their cheating will be pardoned. Give them LIC’s money, bank’s money. They will run away with it, then who will be responsible for it?”
According to the complaint, Yadav's statement amounts to defaming Gujarat. On March 25, he witnessed Yadav's declaration. Mehta claimed that as a result of this remark, Gujaratis travelling outside of Gujarat will be treated suspiciously. In accordance with the IPC, he has sought the court to issue a summons or a warrant for the defamatory comment. “I supplied a list of witnesses, a CD with the video, and a transcript. The court scheduled a hearing on May 1 for verification,” the complainant said. Besides Yadav, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is facing two criminal defamation cases filed in metropolitan courts in Ahmedabad.